…teachers and students can overcome the frustrations, difficulties, and boredom often associated with pronunciation by focusing their attention on the development of pronunciation that is “listener friendly.” After all, English pronunciation does not amount to mastery of a list of sounds or isolated words.  Instead, it amounts to learning and practicing the specifically English way of making a speaker’s thoughts easy to follow.                                           

Judy B. Gilbert, Teaching Pronunciation:  Using the Prosody Pyramid 

Hi, tutors! This post features ESOL pronunciation expert, Dr. Judy Gilbert.  English speakers rely on the “rhythm and melody” of our language to specify the meaning of what we say.

For example:  How would you respond to the following statement:

John:  I wanted a cup of SOUP.        Mary:  a.  Not coffee?  b.  Not a bowl?

Check out this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPmjGHdK5v8&noredirect=1

A companion booklet from Cambridge University Press:  http://www.cambridge.org/other_files/downloads/esl/booklets/Gilbert-Teaching-Pronunciation.pdf

Will help your ELLs understand and be understood!  lder